The DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office is hiring, and it has launched a new recruitment video and a dedicated careers website to find its next group of deputies and 911 dispatchers. The sheriff’s office announced the push on its official Facebook page, calling service in one of Mississippi’s fastest-growing counties “more than a job” and “a calling.”
“If you’re ready to answer the call, we’re ready to hear from you,” the department wrote, urging interested people to visit its recruiting site, servedesoto.com.
Why the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office Is Hiring Now
DeSoto County’s population keeps climbing, and the sheriff’s office covers the unincorporated parts of the county, runs a 911 communications center, staffs school resource officers, and provides court services. The recruiting campaign highlights the office’s motto, “Integrity. Discipline. Unity.,” and says new hires can build a career, develop skills and make a difference in their community.
The sheriff’s office isn’t the only DeSoto County agency looking for help. The Southaven Police Department has posted that it has openings for both certified and non-certified officers, and the Horn Lake Police Department has shared its own recruiting message pointing applicants to the city’s jobs page.
Open Positions and Listed Pay
The careers site lists two main tracks:
Deputy Sheriff (patrol, investigations and community policing). The job listing on the site shows a salary range of about $50,690 to $73,077 a year. Applicants must be at least 21, a U.S. citizen, have a valid driver’s license with a clean driving record, be in good physical condition, have no felony convictions, and pass a background investigation and drug screening.
Communications Dispatcher (answering 911 calls and dispatching law enforcement, fire and EMS). The listing shows a range of about $48,901 to $65,229 a year. Applicants must be at least 18, have a high school diploma or GED, type at least 40 words per minute, and pass the National Dispatcher Selection Test, a background check and a drug screen.
Benefits and the Hiring Process
According to the recruiting site, medical coverage begins on the first day of employment. Other listed benefits include dental and vision plans, $50,000 in life insurance at no cost, short-term disability at no cost, paid parental leave, and an employee assistance program. Employees join the Mississippi Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS) and can also use a 457 deferred compensation plan.
The office also lists a voluntary fitness incentive, backed by Sheriff Thomas E. Tuggle II and the DeSoto County Board of Supervisors, that pays employees who meet rowing benchmarks in tests held each April and October.
Both tracks start with an in-person application. Deputy candidates then go through a physical fitness test, a written test, a polygraph exam, a staff interview, a background check and a final interview with the sheriff before a conditional job offer, medical assessment and drug test. Deputies who aren’t yet certified attend the Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers’ Training Academy after they’re hired. Dispatcher candidates are encouraged to sit in on a two-hour observation shift, then take a typing test, the national dispatcher exam and a personality assessment before the background check.
How to Apply
In person: 3091 Industrial Drive West, Hernando, MS 38632, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
